95 Running Rough

[DigDugg]

Ok Guys..see if you can help me with this.....here goes...i have a 95GA 2.3 and the story goes like this :D while idling, the motor is rough and shakes violently from front to back, with back fire, then on excelaration poor sluggish almost to point of shut down, around 50-55 it seems to settle down unless you try to give it gas, it also has a clank noise on excelaration. symptoms identical to Gabriel's problem in post 7064 except for the backfire which I have. I have not opened it yet could this be timing chain or head gasket. Please help:rolleyes: more input to come. TIA



........:thewave: D.

[DominionTuner]

Sounds like a stuffed up Catalytic converter to me. If it shakes REALLY Bad, your motor mounts might be messed up too. Timing Chain is also a possibility but When my TC was going it, my car didn't have any of the symptoms yours had. So I wouldn't bet on Timing Chain.

[Toyguyz]

I'm guessing you've already done the obvious like checking to see if you have a bad coil and verfying that the knock sensor is working properly... In not you may want to check these items.

[DigDugg]

ok I have checked the plugs...no liquid of any kind but i'm not saying they dont look a little rough. There's no water in the oil. I changed the fuel filter. I found the knock sensor(what a PITA)to remove(by the way how do you tell if its gone bad?):idunno:
i'm off to try to resolve this problem any more ideas will be greatly appreciated.....

D.

[LargeFish]

In addition to the coils, make sure your coil housing is good. Common culprit.

[DigDugg]

ok, I have replaced the plugs, the knock sensor, and the coil housing was done not too long ago. Its not any better than when i first started. Any suggestions? The muffler system(complete) was done less than six months ago.


D.

[Toyguyz]

Here's a couple of thoughts......

- Put an ohmeter on the coils and check to see if either is bad.

- Another possibility is your timing chain might have slackened and jumped a tooth throwing your timing off.

- There is also a crank sensor that could be bad and throwing your timing off

Can you get it to someone with a scanner and check to see if it's throwing off any codes? This would be helpful to track down a sensor related issue.

[DigDugg]

I have had it scanned for codes, no codes came up. Here's a recap of what I have done.......
I have checked the coil housing for cracks,(none) the coils are fine(the whole coil and housing was replaced a few months ago), the plugs have been changed, changed the oil, changed the knock sensor, crank case sensor, cleaned the injectors,changed the fuel filter, changed any old vaccum hoses... ummm I'm sure I am forgetting something. the idle is starting to smooth out, but when put in drive or reverse it boggs down and starts the miss and backfire. any further ideas are greatly appreciated.

D.

oh yeah I replaced the muffler system about 2 months ago.

[4kQuad]

I don't see the air filter on your changed list. When you put the car in gear the air/fuel mixture changes. The air filter may be too clogged to let enough air flow by to keep it running smoth.

The filter should be white and you should be able to see through it looking at a light. That would be my next check. I can't read the red ink in your first post. So I'm kind of going on what others and you said in other threads.

[4kQuad]

Idle Air Control Valuve. in top of the throttle body may also be dirty. It control the air/fuel mixture going into the car.

I think it takes a 15 tork to remove the two screws that hold it in.
When you pull it out you will see a small rubber ring/gasket. My book said to put a little trany fluid on it before you put it back in.
You can get a dab off the trany fluid checking stick.

[Toyguyz]

Is your GA an automatic or standard transmission? If automatic, I think someone had posted something in the past about a sensor on the transmission that can effect driveability but I can't remember exactly if it fits your cars symptoms or not. If its an auto it may be worth looking into and perhaps someone else can expand on this a little more. (Disregard this if yours is a standard trans.)

As for the coils, mine checked out OK the first time I checked them so I also changed out my coil cover and got a little better performance. Then one day shorly afterwards it started chugging when it was driven. I went back and checked the coils again and found one had gone to open, (essentially running on two cylinders). Even though they were checked some time back, I'd pull the cover and check them again to make sure they both are still good.

I agree with the statement about checking the air filter just to rule it out, but it sounds like you may have more than just the filter to contend with but maybe not.

Good Luck!

[4kQuad]

Well, I finally got a chance to read your post. Coul not read the red ink on the first post.

Toyguyz has a good point. Coils on our cars are like coils on standard motors. The coil will work great cold. Give the car about 15 minutes. The coils get hot and start missing or failing.

The backfire part don't fit well into that. That sounds more like a timming issue. There is a sencor that takes care of that. You suggested maybe a haed gasket, NORMALLY when a head gasket blows, the motor pops, craps, then refuses to start. That's were the compression comes into the fix. Fuel, Air, Spark, Compression.
Compression particalizes the gas to small enough drops to burn.

Gas in the car is like a log on a fire. It's not the liquid or the wood that burns. It's the gas or fumes comming from the solid that burns.

Do a compression check.
A compression tester is only like 20 to 30 bucks.

[DigDugg]

Found the Throttle Position Sensor and the Idle Air Control Valve, cleaned the IACV. Idling is now not a problem in Park. Does that alot better now. Once I get it to idle.

I started the car and let it idle. Then took the electrical connector off of each injector from left to right the first one made very very little if any change to the engine, the second killed it, the third made change but didn't kill along with the fourth. The second is what all 4 should do?

Any further Suggestions greatly appreciated.

D.